Granted
by Blue Baroness
Summary: [Oneshot, POV] Zack reflects on the things in life he has taken for granted.


**Author's Notes…**

Okay, let's go through with this once (I hate repeating myself).

I don't own Final Fantasy VII or Zack, or else I would be a wealthy girl. So, he's Square-Enix's property. That said...

An author on called soranokumo, a wonderful author whose works you should read, made the last name Donovan (so I didn't make it up!). I think the name really fits this funny yet down-to-earth guy!

I was inspired to write this after watching **Last Order OVA**, and I have wanted to write a story in first-person for a long time. Since Zack's personality is the easiest to emulate for me, I chose him! And I **love** him!

_(Aerith clings to Zack possessively)_

_Zack:_ Hehehe, the ladies love me.

_- Just to warn you, this story has not been proof-read, so there may be some grammar mistakes, some OOCness, crude swearing, and fluff! -_

I have taken many things in my life for granted.

I remember the mornings my mom would make me a REAL breakfast – pancakes, hash browns, bacon that was cut into thick slices (the real way to have bacon), and some fresh orange or mango juice. I remember she tirelessly worked to make my dad and me happy, even if money was tight she managed to find a way to give you the best damn meal in your life.

I always encouraged her to start up her own restaurant, because her cooking was that damn good. Old-fashioned home cooking is needed in this world, I told her. People would actually buy into it!

But she always complained that it would take too much money to start one up, and that there were not a lot of people in this small town to make it popular. My mom always doubted herself – I guess that's why I needed to get out of that town. I wanted to leave before I became too old and started to lose motivation and doubt my abilities in life.

But, before I get distracted again, let me tell you who I am.

My name is Zackary Donovan, age twenty-three, and one of the youngest First Class SOLDIER in the Shinra Corporation. Or former First-Class SOLDIER. Depending on how you look on it.

Anyways, as I was telling you before, I have taken many things in my life for granted.

Besides my mom's glorious cooking, there were free days where I could wake up and go outside to the jungle to do anything I wanted. I would climb the trees, not minding about the cuts I got from them – I always loved having battle scars. The more the better, I always thought. It would be easier proof to the ladies when I told them of my heroic stories – saving children from a burning building or something like that. Those stories always got girls all over me, saying, "Oh, you brave man!"

However, when I enrolled in the SOLDIER program – I was expecting it to be tough. However, my mind didn't prepare me for the vicious assaults that my drill sergeant would put me through.

I realized I had lost my freedom, a thing I had taken for granted.

"When I tell you pussies to stand up like men, I don't want you to be slouching around like fucking slobs! AUH-TEN-SHUN!"

Our heels would click in unison and we would be forced to make our posture unnaturally straight.

"YES DRILL SERGEANT!" We would all chorus at the same time; because we were scared shitless about this man. This man had the power to make you run around the barracks because you sneezed; he would punch you in the face because he didn't like the look on it.

I remember the first week after I had entered; over half of the class had left, many complaining that SOLDIER was too hard and others because they were having abnormal stomach pains. The drill sergeant called them pussies, going home to their mommies instead of sucking it up.

A month after I entered another half of the guys left the training. The barracks became very quiet and empty, but I enjoyed that because it meant there was less noise for me to listen to when I could rest.

Two months passed. Then three. Soon enough six months had passed, which meant I had passed the first 'test' to enter SOLDIER.

Out of fifty men that had entered only ten of us were left. But it didn't make things any easier.

The drill sergeant would have an easier time to point out our problems; telling Jameson he was holding the sword the wrong way, or telling me that I was a "fucking moron" when it came to using the materia.

However, the day came when it was time to graduate to a high level; the Third-Class level. To honor this event, instead of giving us the champagne and the long-legged girls we all wanted as a reward for the hell they put us through, they gave us 10 CCs of Mako.

I had once again taken my normal life for granted; after this I was longer a normal human being. I was a mako-injected human being.

Oh, the first few days after having Mako injected in you was pure pain. At first it felt like you were doused by cold water, but soon it would change into a heat that made you sweat waterfalls. Many guys were so sick that they were put into the infirmary, which was caused by Mako poisoning. I never knew such a thing existed; I mean I knew that if it causes your eyes glow, then that isn't natural. But even then I never knew it would become a severe illness.

One of the guys I befriended, Gus Thatcher, had to be sent home due to illness in the head. The guys said he snapped from all of the pressure; I think the Mako fried his brain cells. All I can remember was that when his mom and dad were waiting outside the infirmary, they were so pale with worry. I remember hearing his mom gasp when he was escorted out on a wheelchair; I had never felt so… bad when I saw this happen. Gus was a good guy; he didn't deserve to become a vegetable!

But after recovering from our injections, the challenges in Third-Class were easier than the beginning trials. In later years I learned from another SOLDIER that my drill sergeant was one of the toughest in the whole company. Apparently he trained and sparred with Turk recruits as well. I guess that was a sort of good thing; it made things in SOLDIER easier to adjust to.

Remember earlier on how I said I took my mom's food for granted; well I realized that as soon as I enrolled in here. We get this gray-coloured mush that is called oatmeal, along with toast that is so burnt it's the equivalent to eating a brick! We had to eat this for breakfast for our first year. Lunch was either cold sandwiches or a soup that was so dull tasting that we needed to sneak in Tabasco sauce to revive our taste buds. Supper was either a hard roast with mashed potatoes or some sort of stew (which I actually liked).

I remembered hearing from the usual gossip that Sephiroth ate roasted salmon garnished with lemon-butter and asparagus one night; the next he was eating a small garden salad that was imported from Costa del Sol with roasted chocobo in it. Even though this talk made us hungrier, it made us hungry for the position where one day we would all be able to eat salmon steak and chocobo every night.

But what I think I took for granted the most was my love for her. My flower girl. Aerith.

I remember always being the playboy in the barracks. Every time I was off duty (a privilege granted upon me when I entered SOLDIER Second-Class) I would head to every bar or dance club to find me some fresh meat. All of the girls I had slept with (all of the Jessicas, Tiffanys, Christinas, or Laurens), they were never enough. I felt this emptiness after I was finished with them; I guess they were the appetizers before the main course. I know it is crude, but this is the only way I can think of describing the girls I met before Aerith!

But Aerith… God, you can't describe her in one word. That would be an insult to her. So, here are the words I think of when I see her or think about her: beautiful, smart, down-to-earth, angelic, sexy, sweet, cute, the girl you would introduce to your parents, funny, sarcastic… and did I mention, beautiful?

The guys had noticed that I was a changed man after I had met her. I was caught humming when I was in the showers. They said only fools in love sing or hum. I think they were just jealous because I had found the love of my life.

I remember when I first met her. I was off duty, and I was heading to my local hangout when she had stopped me with one sentence.

"Excuse me sir, but would you like a flower?" she had asked in her sweet voice. Hearing someone calling me 'sir' instead of 'boy' was a nice change, and a girl who had a sense of courtesy was a rarity in Midgar.

When I turned to look at her, it felt like a piece of the puzzle in my life had been found. She wore her pink and white dress, her body was neither fat or too skinny, her chestnut brown hair in soft curls and her big green eyes were the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. I'm no poet, but I think that description can justify for Aerith's appearance.

So, acting all cocky, I said yes, I would like to have a flower. All it cost was one gil and I was hooked.

Soon enough, I was sneaking out everyday to the spot where she and I first met at roughly the same time. On the corner of 51st avenue and Melbrooke.

I always chatted up with her every time I bought a flower, talking about how hard it was in SOLDIER, how the weather was, and which chocobo racers were the best. I had to admit, she enjoyed the same stuff that I enjoyed.

A few months later, when my living quarters were filled with fresh flowers and I was now singing loves songs while thinking about her, I had the guts to go up to her and ask her out. Okay, I didn't have the guts. I was stammering a bit, and scratching behind my head nervously, but she caught the message I was sending her.

"Yeah, Zack, when and where?"

Two days later, at this spot, I told her. Around 1900 hours. She laughed when I said that, because she said I was a true military man.

On that day I had taken out a considerable sum of money out, I washed my best clothes and ironed them, and I showered well after training. I even wore some cologne my friend had lent me; saying that this had pheromones in it that made women into horny creatures. I think he was taking those Tag ads way too seriously. But it did smell nice.

When I showed up to the corner at our agreed-upon time, Aerith was waiting for me. She wore this nice white dress with a soft pink cardigan and some white flat shoes. She didn't wear any make-up (except for some lip gloss which tasted great when I kissed her, hehehe) and no jewelry, which was a fresh change from the heavily made-up and jewelry-covered girls I had slept with previously.

We went to a nice restaurant, with a candle light dinner. She had a garden salad while I had a great steak, but when I offered her some steak she declined; turned out she was a vegetarian. Yeah, wrong move to make on a first date.

Aerith and I agreed our food habits were different; I had grown up eating pork and beef while she liked her salads to be filled with every vegetable ever created. She respected my preferences as I did the same in return.

After that we had decided that maybe instead of the usual dinner and a movie, we should try something different. One afternoon our date consisted of cleaning her amazing garden at her house (it's unbelievable such a thing exists in the slums); another was dedicated to me teaching her how to use materia (she was actually a pro with it).

We made secret dates for us to go outside of Midgar on my Hardy Daytona. I would bribe Reno into lending me his pass to the outside world if I gave him a monthly membership to the Honey Bee Inn. It was a good deal.

The first time I brought her out she was amazed how clear the sky was, how fresh the air smelt, and how green the land was outside of Midgar. She didn't like it when I went faster, sixty miles per hour was just enough for her. But I did get a kick every time I made my bike roar and reach a hundred miles per hour just to hear her scream my name out.

Later on that night, when I returned her back to home and before she went inside her house, she had kissed me. Fully. On the lips. With tongue.

That kiss was one of my first passionate ones; the ones that came before could never compare to this. Maybe it was my growing love for her, maybe it was the Cinnamon lip-gloss she wore, but whatever it was the feeling was incredible!

Unfortunately, meeting the parents for the first time while kissing your girl goes hand-in-hand. Aerith's mom opened the door on us, the golden light from the home shocking us while her mom's terrifying yet small silhouette tapped its foot at us.

"Mmmmmm... Mom!" Aerith said, immediately breaking the electric contact and giving an innocent grin at her.

"Aerith, who is this young man?" Mom asked, her gray eyes hardening at the very sight of me. Damn, that's what the guys meant when they said they the mother dragon glared at them.

"Mom, this is Zachary Donovan. Zack, this is my mother, Elmyra Gainsborough," she had said breathlessly, her entire face flushing with embarrassment.

"Pleasure to meet you ma'am," I said, offering my right hand to her for her to shake. She continued to stare at me as if I were a dangerous insect.

"Umm… Zack, would you like to have some tea?" Aerith asked, trying to break the awkward silence.

"Doesn't this soldier boy have an early day tomorrow, Aerith? I'm sure he has curfew," Elmyra said coldly, telling me right off that I was not welcome at her home.

"Oh yeah, sure, I do! 0500 hours! And look at the time; I'll only have five hours left to sleep! Sorry Aerith, but I had a great time! I will call you tomorrow!" I said while backing away slowly, step-by-step. The last thing I wanted was the mother dragon to suddenly unleash her breath of fire on me!

"B-but… Okay Zack, see you tomorrow," Aerith sighed, shoulders dropping in resignation. I know, I felt pretty bad after that moment. I didn't give a proper good-bye, which meant Elmyra removed ten points of respect to me.

Soon after that awkward meeting, Aerith and I spent more and more time together in the Sector Five church. It was her haven; and it soon grew into my haven as well. It was another one of her spots where she grew the wonderful flowers that she sold.

I remember her last meeting with me. It was only she and I were together in that church, where she was watering her flowers with great care.

"I have something I want to say," I started, breaking the peaceful silence. She stopped watering her flowers, her attention fully turned to me.

"Yes?" she asked, waiting for a response.

"In a few days I will be embarking on a highly classified mission." That was one thing that came along being a First-Class SOLDIER, the secret missions. "And I don't know how long it will be, but I want you to know that I love you."

Aerith slightly gasped, her big green eyes blinking rapidly as I said those words.

"Don't say that," she whispered suddenly.

"Huh?"

"Don't say you don't know how long it will be until we are together again. It can curse you." She rose from her spot from the dirt, brushing the soil off of her long pink skirt. She settled herself beside me, and brushed a lock of hair behind my ear. "Please, Zack, promise me that it will not be a long time until we see each other again." She wrapped her arms around my shoulders, as if I were her very pillar of life.

"…Please…?"

I sighed, not knowing of what to do in this situation. Oh snap! I then remembered a good thing about this mission.

I gave a hearty chuckle. "Don't worry Aerith, I think it will be a smooth but boring one. Except, this time…" I gave her a mysterious smile.

"What?"

I slowly put my mouth near her ear and whispered, "I am going to be fighting with a legendary SOLDIER, Sephiroth."

Aerith's mouth dropped open, her eyes as wide as teacups. Oh yes, I'm definitely turning into a poet. This love for Aerith has made me into a poet.

"That's great! He should be able to protect you!" She said with glee, clapping her hands.

"I know! I can also show him my skills, and maybe he can promote me! I'll finally become a famous SOLDIER!"

Aerith giggled, tossing her head away.

"What?" I whined.

"Zack, you're the SOLDIER in my life! You are my famous SOLDIER!" And right then she pecked me on the cheek, while I lightly blushed with happiness.

That was the last time I had a conversation with her, and I feel that I took that one for granted. If I only knew about the near future, about the madness that would happen, I wouldn't have stayed in that church!

I would have taken her outside of Midgar again, or we should have gone to an expensive vegetarian restaurant, or we should have gotten married! Argh, marriage, why didn't I think of that! I should have proposed to her!

But right now, as I reflect back on my memories, I realize I have taken so many things for granted. Eating, breathing, able to touch and feel material objects, to fight monsters with my trusty Buster Sword.

We all take things for granted. Whether it is being with our loved ones or having a delicious slice of bacon, we don't know how great these people or things in our lives are, until they are taken away.

_Author's Notes..._

Well, here's my first work in about, oh, two years! Yes, it's been two years since I have uploaded anything on this account.

See the purple button in the bottom-left corner? I really LOVE it when people leave reviews. It encourages me to continue writing and lets me know that some people actually read what I write!


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